Cassie Miller’s efforts, early opportunities lead Red Stars over Spirit in season series finale
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (BVM) — After taking a 2-0 lead at halftime, everything was clicking for the Chicago Red Stars.
The defense was creating pressure and slowing down a Washington Spirit offense that had scored two or more goals in its last three matches. The offense was generating chances all around the net and had a couple of goals to its name. However, more importantly, were goalkeeper Cassie Miller’s efforts, whose saves in the 23rd and 32nd minute marks further helped stymie a high-powered Spirit offense.
At the 71st minute, though, Miller got unlucky. Really unlucky.
Driving to the net on a breakaway, Spirit forward Trinity Rodman tested Miller, who ran out of the goal box. Rodman effortlessly dribbled around her and by the time Red Stars’ defenders Arin Wright and Kayla Sharples could get a hold of the ball, it was already in the net.
But despite one miscue from Miller, her efforts ultimately paid dividends for the Red Stars (6-5-2, 20 points), who defeated Washington (5-4-3, 18 points) 3-1 to take their season series 2-0-1.
Miller finished with four saves in her fifth match filling in for starting goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who is competing with the U.S. Women’s National Team at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She kept a Spirit offense, led by attacker Ashley Hatch — whose six goals lead the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) — mostly in check.
Miller’s most notable save came about a minute after she let Rodman get the best of her. Washington forward Ashley Sanchez took a right-footed shot from the center of the penalty area and had Miller once again out of position, the match could have easily been tied at two apiece. Instead, she flawlessly dived and caught the ball in mid-air, to the roar of 2,534 fans at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Ill.
Through five starts since Naeher’s departure, Miller has allowed five goals from 17 shots on target and is 4-1-0.
Chicago opened the scoring at the 19th minute off attacker Mallory Pugh’s team-leading third goal of the season. Pugh stole the ball in the mid-field before taking a shot from the bottom right-hand corner just outside of Washington’s penalty area, and Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe failed to make the save on a diving attempt. At the 39th minute, the Red Stars scored again off of a deflection from forward Rachel Hill, which midfielder Danielle Colaprico set up on a corner kick.
Opening the second half, Washington quietly generated more pressure before Rodman narrowed Chicago’s lead to one goal. However, it was the 79th minute when the Red Stars put the game in their hands.
After officials gave a yellow card to Washington defender Sam Staab for a handball, Red Stars’ midfielder Morgan Gautrat had a chance to extend her team’s lead on a penalty kick. The same fans who had been roaring minutes earlier because of Miller’s save were mostly all quiet, waiting to see whether Gautrat would extend the lead.
“Let’s go, Morgan!” one fan yelled from the supporters’ section right behind Bledsoe.
Gautrat had a chance to take advantage, and she did. The St. Simons, Ga., native added some extra insurance for the Red Stars, who ultimately snapped Washington’s five-match road win streak.
The Red Stars are 8-1-3 in their last 12 matches with the Spirit after Sunday’s win and jumped from sixth to third place in the NWSL standings, trailing the league-leading Portland Thorns by five points. Up next for Chicago is another home match, Aug. 8 against Orlando, while Washington returns home Aug. 7 against Portland.
